Graduate Field Handbook Psychology College of Arts & Science

Graduate Field Handbook Psychology College of Arts & Science

PhD Program-at-a-Glance: Psychological science is one of the most exciting disciplines in higher education. It is one of the rare sciences to combine deep theory, sophisticated experimental methods, and powerful modeling techniques with an immense range of applications to human welfare. In Cornell's Department of Psychology, graduate study for the PhD degree aims to train the next generation of leaders in psychological science by preparing students for productive research careers. Graduate study is focused on four core areas: behavioral neuroscience, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, and social psychology. In each of these areas, research training is lab-driven and closely directed by faculty supervisors. This model trains students in the background knowledge and research skills that are necessary for future careers in academic departments of psychology, as well as other social and neuroscience departments. It also trains students for positions in a range of other institutions in which psychological research is central, including state and federal agencies, foundations, and corporations.

The Graduate Field System: The PhD requirements in psychology are set by two distinct entities--the Graduate School and the Graduate Field of Psychology. The Graduate School sets the basic requirements for all PhD degrees at Cornell; it is led by its own deans and is advised by an elected faculty committee. The Graduate Field is the entity at Cornell that is responsible for all graduate training within a particular field of study (in this case, psychology). The Graduate Field is distinct from any specific department, in that it contains professors from any department who have been elected to be a faculty member within the field. While all members of the Department of Psychology are by default members of the Graduate Field of Psychology, members of other departments are also part of the field, and the graduate field of psychology is its own administrative entity. When we refer to "graduate faculty," in this document, then, we refer to all faculty members who are part of the Graduate Field of Psychology, independent of their department. Only graduate faculty members can serve on a student's special committee.

Director of Graduate Studies: The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) of psychology is elected by the members of the Graduate Field of Psychology (usually for a three year term), and has overall responsibility for coordinating the graduate program in psychology. According to the Graduate School's "Guide to Graduate Studies," the responsibilities of the DGS are to be the primary liaison between the Graduate Field and the Graduate School, to establish academic priorities and allocate resources for graduate students, and to enhance the quality of graduate education and general student welfare. The DGS also oversee the admissions process, and is the point of contact should you have any questions regarding the graduate program when you arrive. The DGS is also required to sign any documents that are required by the Graduate School. The current DGS for Psychology is David Pizarro.

Graduate Field Assistant (GFA): The other key contact for the graduate program is the Graduate Field Assistant (GFA). The GFA serves as a liaison between students and the faculty, can answer most questions about the graduate program and the process of obtaining a degree, and can help you with all the paperwork that goes along with being a Cornell graduate student. The current GFA for psychology is Pam Cunningham.

Applying to the Program

Students interested in the Cornell Psychology PhD Program should apply through the CollegeNet ApplyWeb online application system maintained by the Graduate School. There are several components to the application, which are listed and then described in further detail below. If your file is missing one or more of these components, you will be at a disadvantage in the selection process.

Components of the application include:

? Application Form ? Academic Statement of Purpose ? Personal Statement ? Writing Sample ? College Transcript(s) ? Resume or CV ? Three (3) Letters of Recommendation ? GRE Scores (not required, for admission for Fall 2022) ? TOEFL test scores (if applicable, see below) ? Nonrefundable application fee of $105 (see below regarding fee waivers)

Academic Statement of Purpose. The statement of purpose should focus on your academic preparation, your research interests, and your intellectual goals. We ask that you respond to the following prompt:

Please use the Academic Statement of Purpose to describe (within 1000 words) the substantive research questions you are interested in pursuing during your graduate studies, and explain how our program would help you achieve your intellectual goals. Additionally, detail your academic background, intellectual interests, and any training or research experience you have received that you believe has prepared you for our program. Within your statement, please also identify specific faculty members whose research interests align with your own interests.

Further guidance on preparing your academic statement of purpose is available through the Graduate School.

Personal Statement. The personal statement will be used for both the admissions process, and to inform the nomination and selection process for Diversity Fellowships. For this statement, we ask that you respond to the following prompt:

Please describe how your personal background and experiences influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree. Additionally, provide insight on your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect where scholars representing diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and innovate productively and positively together.

Domestic students who indicate an interest in being considered for a Diversity Fellowship will also be provided with an opportunity to submit an Optional Addendum to the Personal Statement. The Optional Addendum is intended to provide applicants with the opportunity to provide additional personal information would not be

accessible for admissions purposes (e.g., highly sensitive information or information that is traumatic in nature), but would be accessible to the DGS and the Fellowships.

GRE Scores. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and current challenges in administration of the GRE, we have decided to suspend the GRE requirement in our admissions process. For students applying to begin in Fall 2022, the GRE is recommended, but not required.

Students who intend to take the GRE should do so by October, so that scores arrive by the January 15 deadline and can be considered by the admissions committee. Your scores should be submitted directly to Cornell using Institution Code 2098; more information is provided here. You do not need to take the advanced test in Psychology.

TOEFL. International applicants must demonstrate proficiency with the English Language by submitting the TOEFL or ILETS scores. There are few exceptions to this requirement for international applicants.

The Graduate School requires an overall band score of 7.0 or higher on the ILETS. Minimum scores for the TOEFL iBT are:

? Speaking: 22 ? Reading: 20 ? Listening: 15 ? Writing: 20

The TOEFL score must be dated within two years of your program's application deadline. Photocopies of TOEFL score reports will not be accepted. Students must take the TOEFL early enough to have the results submitted before the application deadline, and use Institutional Code 2098, with Department Code 96.

Please note that we cannot confirm receipt of test scores until an applicant has submitted an online application. If you receive your test results and any sub-score does not meet the requirement, you should make arrangements to retake the test.

Application Fee:

The Graduate School charges a nonrefundable application fee of $105. However, this fee may be waived in cases of financial hardship or for qualified participants of certain special programs.

Deadlines: We accept students into the graduate program just once a year, in early spring for a fall matriculation. You need to submit your application, including all supporting documentation, in time for us to receive it by December 1.

Application decisions are typically made in late February, and all of the intramural fellowships are filled by mid-February. However, we occasionally make offers later in the spring if it looks like yield rates are unusually low or if additional funding from the Graduate School or Arts College comes in.

You will be notified by a letter from the Director of Graduate Studies of the status of your application once all of the admissions decisions have been made. Because letters of admission contain legally binding information about the funding package, they need to be cleared by the Graduate School before we can send them out. Please be patient with us (and them)! If you are admitted, we ask that you make your decision no later than April 15.

Graduate Students

Our graduate students are an integral part of the Cornell psychology community, and our program is committed not only to preparing students for their futures in the field of psychology, but to creating an environment in which they will thrive during their time here. Graduate student involvement is a large part of creating such an environment, and we encourage our students to be active participants of the intellectual and social community in the department. Some participation (such as getting involved in research) are clear requirements for obtaining a PhD, but graduate students are also expected to attend and actively participate in things like weekly colloquium and special lecture series. This participation not only helps build an intellectual community, but it is also critical to building the professional skills that will help you succeed in the field.

In what follows we outline the basic requirements of getting your PhD, along with guidelines for when each requirement needs to be fulfilled.

Forming your Special Committee: Your first official requirement as a graduate student is to select the members of your Special Committee. This committee is there to help guide you throughout the program, and to determine whether you have fulfilled your requirements. The Special Committee consists of your committee chair and two "minor" members (all three of which are selected by the student), and a "breadth" member (a member of your committee from outside of your area, appointed by the DGS). Note that when you first enter the program, the DGS is your official committee chair until you appoint your chair. While the chair of your committee must be a member of the graduate field of psychology and within your area, any member of any graduate field may serve as minor members on your Special Committee, with occasional limits imposed on the faculty based on the relevance of their field to your graduate education.

Additional guidelines:

o Students should select the chair of their committee as early as possible, ideally within the first semester. The committee chair is usually the student's primary research advisor and mentor. If you have not selected a primary advisor by the end of your first semester, you should consult the Director of Graduate Studies to have an acting chair appointed.

o Minor committee members should be selected on the basis of the expertise they bring to your training. o Your breadth member (also known as the "field appointed member") is appointed by the DGS with the

goal of ensuring that all graduate students receive an appropriate breadth of training in the field of psychology.

For more information on special committee requirements:

Selecting your Committee Chair and Members in Student center: studentcenter.cornell.edu

Committee selection will be entered into student center with the following required field set up. Menu will be on the right: Select Special Committee

o Chairperson and concentration area o Minor member and concentration area o Minor Member and concentration area o Field appointed member (also known as Breadth Member) and concentration area

When submitted: The form will then be electronically approved by the committee members, DGS and GFA for final approval.

Special Committee Meetings: o First year meeting ? this meeting should be held by the end of the Spring semester of your first year. The first meeting is usually a `getting to know you' meeting, and typically involves a discussion of the student's research interests and current progress on initial research projects. It is helpful to provide the committee with background information, including any prior research and relevant coursework. This often takes the form of a single one-page document that is distributed to the committee during (or prior to) the meeting. Bring your questions. This meeting (and all meetings) are designed to ensure your success throughout the graduate education process, and your committee has the knowledge to provide you with answers to any questions you might have. o Students should have a formal meeting with their committee at least once per year. However, students are encouraged to consult frequently with committee members outside of these meetings. o Additional tips: For all committee meetings, it is useful to provide all committee members with a document that briefly outlines each of your research projects (new, ongoing and completed) and your progress to date, plans for future experiments. It is useful for students to briefly document the discussions of the meeting, including any specific plans or decisions that were made, and send a copy to each committee member for their records. This helps to ensure that students and committee members are in agreement about the discussion.

Changes to your committee:

o Changing the members of your special committee requires approval from all members of the newly formed committee. It does not require approval from members who are leaving the committee. These changes need to be filed immediately in Student Center.

o You may make changes to your special committee at any time prior to your A exam. Committee changes after your A exam require the dean's approval. Additionally, you may not schedule your B exam within three months of a committee change.

Required Courses: Our program is intended to give students flexibility in their education, allowing them to balance their research goals with their coursework. As such, we have very few official requirements when it comes to coursework. We

list these below, but also encourage students to participate in graduate seminars that are not part of their official requirements. ? In your first year you are required to enroll in:

o Psychology 6001 - Graduate Professionalism Seminar (with training for writing an external funding proposal)

o Quantitative Methods 1& 2 (if not being taught then BTRY 6010 & 6020) ? In years 1-4 you are also required to enroll in:

o Psychology 6000 ? Graduate Research Seminar o Enrollment in this seminar includes presenting your research in the Spring of your 1st, 2nd, and 4th years.

EXAMS

The A-Exam

The Graduate School requires that all PhD candidates defend what is known as the A-Exam (also known as the Examination for Admission to Candidacy). This exam must include an oral component. In psychology, the AExam usually consists of three papers submitted to the Special Committee, based on questions that have been provided by the chair and the two minor members of the committee (not the breadth member). Students must then have a Special Committee meeting, in which they present these papers and field questions from committee members (the oral component of the defense). The Special Committee determines the content and format of the written submissions, and in consultation with the student, may ask that these submissions take the form of (for instance) a grant proposal or a detailed course syllabus.

PhD students must pass the A-exam before they are formally admitted to candidacy for the PhD. The Aexam must take place after the second, but before the seventh term (semester) of residence.

Students should arrange a meeting of the Special Committee to discuss the format of the A-Exam (note, again, that the committee has flexibility over what will be required).

Students must submit copies of all of their A-exam papers to all members of the Special Committee at least two weeks in advance of the examination, unless all members of the Special Committee agree to modify this requirement.

A Schedule of ExaminationForm, found on the graduate school forms web page, signed by all committee members, the DGS, and the Graduate Field Assistant, must be submitted to the Graduate school at least 7 days prior to the exam. The exam must be scheduled so that all members of the Special Committee can attend in person, except under exceptional circumstances.

If a Special Committee member cannot attend the oral defense in person, the student must petition the Graduate School in order to have the member attend virtually or telephonically. This petition, also found on the graduate school forms web page, must be signed by all members of the Special Committee, the DGS, and the GFA. The petition must be approved at least 7 days before the exam is scheduled to take place.

A results of ExaminationsForm, (also found on the graduate school forms web page), recording the outcome of the examination, must be signed at the exam by all Special Committee members, then by the

DGS and Graduate Field Assistant. This form must be submitted to the Graduate School within 3 working days of the oral defense.

The B-Exam (Dissertation Defense)

The B Exam is an oral defense of the dissertation. Here, you are challenged to demonstrate mastery of the relevant literature, to justify the thesis, and to defend the data analysis and interpretations.

Dissertation Proposal:

Before starting dissertation work, you must submit a dissertation proposal, also known as a prospectus, to your special committee. The proposal should give details on the theoretical problem to be addressed in the dissertation, the methods for collecting and/or analyzing data, and the relevance of the expected results as a contribution to the literature. The dissertation proposal is evaluated by the Special Committee.

The proposal needs to be defended, or at least discussed, at a meeting with members of the special committee. Once completed, you must submit the dissertation prospectus completion form.

It is recommended that you submit a written dissertation proposal to all members of the Special Committee prior to any final discussion or defense of this proposal.

Dissertation Defense:

Public defense: Students are required to present their dissertation research in a public exam/talk to be scheduled immediately prior to the oral defense. This public presentation is open to all members of the psychology community.

Oral examination: Following the public talk, students will have a meeting with their special committee in which they will field questions about their dissertation.

Students must submit their dissertation to all members of the Special Committee at least two weeks in advance of the examination, unless all members of the Special Committee agree to modify this requirement.

A Schedule of Examination Form must be filed with the Graduate School at least seven calendar days prior to the examination, and a Results of Examination Form must be filed with the Graduate School within three business days of the examination. Both forms must be signed by all members of the Special Committee, the Director of Graduate Studies, and the Graduate Field Assistant.

Once the Special Committee has approved the dissertation, students must submit it to the Graduate School in accordance with its guidelines for dissertations. At this point, the PhD degree is awarded.

Funding for Graduate Studies

Overview

Cornell funding packages are formally approved by Cornell University based on the annual projected budgets of the graduate school and the colleges that allocate resources. As a result, each cohort's funding package (and size) can vary slightly. For legal purposes, it is the admission letter, not this handbook, that constitutes the official "contract" between the prospective graduate student and Cornell University.

Funding packages typically offer four years of support with a fifth year (which is contingent upon applying for two external sources of funding via external fellowships), Admission to the program covers academic year tuition & health along with providing a stipend for living expenses (excluding summer, unless offered by fellowship).

Some students are also admitted with funding that they secure from foundation or government sources, or in collaborative arrangements with other units within Cornell.

Internal fellowships: One of the most common form of Cornell funding is the Cornell University Fellowship, known as the SAGE fellowship. These fellowships cover tuition and provide a stipend for living expenses. In the first year and the "dissertation year," students are not expected to work as a Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, or Graduate Research Assistant. During the other three years, the student is required to work as a TA, RA, or GRA.

Special fellowships are also available from the Graduate School for qualified applicants from under-represented minority groups. These require a supplemental application essay, submitted at the same time as the other application materials.

External fellowships: Many of our students have been successful in national competitions for external graduate fellowships sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Jacob Javits Foundation, and others. The Graduate School maintains a fellowship database to help students find fellowships for which they are qualified along with an internal excel spreadsheet that will be housed internally. Please see the GFA for this information.

Teaching Assistantship: Teaching is a skill that will be useful to many students, whether they intend to become university faculty members or not. The Field requires that all students fulfill a teaching assistantship and, as usual, the Special Committee determines whether the requirement has been satisfied.

The teaching requirement may be met in a variety of ways. The most common way is to serve as a teaching assistant in an existing course that has discussion sessions for which a TA is responsible.

Teaching well is a difficult task. The Field urges students to improve their teaching skills by taking advantage of the University's resources for teaching assistants offered by theCenter for Teaching Excellenceand by observing colleagues and faculty members in action.

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